Profile
Anatole France: The Ironist of French Letters
Nobel Prize-winning French writer, born in Paris on 16 April 1844
Anatole France was born François-Anatole Thibault in Paris on 16 April 1844, the son of a bookseller. He grew up surrounded by books and worked as a librarian at the French Senate.
His novel The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard (1881) brought him success. He became a member of the Académie française in 1896 and supported Alfred Dreyfus during the famous affair.
Later works include Penguin Island, a satire of French history, and The Gods Are Athirst. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1921 and died in 1924.
Career highlights
- 1844Born in Paris: son of a bookseller
- 1876Senate library: takes a post as a librarian
- 1881The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard: first major success
- 1896Académie française: elected a member
- 1898Supports Dreyfus: alongside Zola
- 1908Penguin Island: satirical novel
- 1912The Gods Are Athirst: novel of the French Revolution
- 1921Nobel Prize in Literature
- 1924Dies near Tours: aged 80
Did you know?His pen name came from his father's bookshop, the Librairie de France, in Paris.
